Originally posted at: https://monikajeneva.wordpress.com/2021/03/24/love-neighbor-codependency-vs-christianity-creative-writing/

Codependents often harm themselves by giving to the level of neglecting their own needs. In order to love our neighbor, we need to start by loving ourselves. (Also to forgive our neighbor, we must first offer forgiveness to ourselves).

Okay, let’s be real; some of our neighbors are not that easy to love. In fact, there are a few of them whom I, self-righteously, believe deserve to have a car run over their mailbox, a key scraped across their red truck, and a brick thrown through their living room window … Um, anyway … That’s another post.

Wait, where was I?

Oh yeah … We, Codependents, give well beyond a healthy limit, which enables other’s to continue their destructive behavior. This is a detriment for all involved, including those who are in the hemispheres of the dangerous conduct- enabled by the Codependent- of these toxic people.

As Codependents, we are not bad people, just misguided as to the difference between licensing and loyalty.

We should remember The Lord’s words in Mathew 10:16: Behold; I am sending you out as sheep amid wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself, Codependency vs Christianity

Godly Wisdom

We need not curtail our love, but must act with balance and godly wisdom in our encounters. Destructive people will take advantage of our Codependency to the extent in which we allow. The extreme side of such a hazard is the possibility of losing our identities and forgetting our importance in Jesus Christ. 

Our Father wants us to maintain boundaries in all things because this means welfare; maintaining safety is always a wise move- for our bodies, spirits, and minds.

Sometimes intercessory prayers for others from afar is the greatest gift in which we can offer those who are serpent-like.

Mathew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself, Codependency vs Christianity

Living Examples

Let us not permit the lack of healthy perimeters from our Codependency to give us the illusion that we are martyrs for our faith. But let us be living examples of Christ’s love by acting on prayerful wisdom and thriving in God’s realm with levelheaded choices and decisions.

Christianity, unlike Codependency, does not starve our souls; it nurtures it.

* I did not go into the intricate depth of this subject as I had planned because I know you are all smart enough to get it from here. No, this is not a copout; I really do think you’re all that, and more.

Mark 12:30,31 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

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